In general, a mobile communication system has been developed to provide a voice service while guaranteeing activity of a user. However, the mobile communication system has gradually extended its field to the data providing service beyond the voice providing service and has now developed to such a level at which the mobile communication system can provide a high speed data service. However, since resources are lacking and users demand higher speed services in the mobile communication system currently providing a service, a more improved mobile communication system is needed.
To meet the demand, standardization of Long Term Evolution (LTE) is being progressed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as one of the next generation mobile communication systems that are being developed. The LTE is a technology of implementing high speed packet based communication with a transmission rate of up to about 100 Mbps. To this end, several methods are being discussed, including a method of reducing the number of nodes located on a communication channel by simplifying a network architecture, a method of making wireless protocols closely access a wireless channel to the maximum, and the like.
In such a mobile communication system, a UE can simultaneously use a plurality of heterogeneous networks. In this case, which kind of mobile communication system is used by a user to transmit specific traffic is determined by a predetermined policy.
An operator can provide a wireless access service to users through various network configurations. For example, an operator can install a 3G/4G access network, additionally install a non-3GPP access network in an area where there are a large number of users, and rent a non-3GPP network in a partial area by concluding an agreement with another operator.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, an operator Access Point (AP) 120 which is directly installed by an operator and a partner AP 130 which is installed by a partner who concludes an agreement with the operator may be located within an LTE coverage 110. At this time, costs actually required for providing a service to a user may be varied according to each access network. For example, costs of a 3G/4G service including an LTE network are most expensive due to 3G/4G frequency costs, costs of a non-3GPP network including the partner AP 130, rented from another operator, are second most expensive due to a rental expense, and costs of a non-3GPP network including the operator AP 120, installed directly by the operator itself, are cheapest. Thus, the operator should be able to control a use rate by differentially applying a priority according to each access network when selecting an access network to be used by users.